Beginning a New Chapter: The Scranton School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children

The Scranton School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing is the newest school of its kind in the nation. It all started with a phone call on a cold, dreary Friday in January of 2009. Don Rhoten, CEO of the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf (WPSD), received a call from John Tomassini, Special Education Bureau Chief of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE).

“John asked me to meet with him in Harrisburg to discuss the future of The Scranton State School for the Deaf ,” Rhoten says. “For a variety of reasons, PDE and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania were closing the school after 130 years. John was interested in other options for educating deaf and hard of hearing children in Northeastern PA and wondered if the WPSD wanted to discuss those possibilities. With the blessing of the WPSD Board of Directors, we entered into intense, comprehensive, and lengthy negotiations with PDE. Every conceivable scenario and organizational structure were discussed, with our insistence upon the priority of doing what was best for the student.”

In April 2009, a final determination of the vision for a new school was complete. The team lived and worked in Scranton to get ready for the exciting new chapter in educating deaf and hard of hearing children in Northeastern PA. Finally, after the staff had been hired, the dorms, classrooms, and offices prepared, the students arrived for their first day of school on September 8, 2009.

Intent on furthering its vision, the former Lourdesmont School in South Abington Township was purchased in July of 2010. Renovations began immediately on the school’s former convent, which would become the new home of the residential students. Planning began for the renovations of classrooms that would be in use at the start of the 2011 school year.

The house that served as the convent was completely renovated and ready for the students within an astounding four-week timeframe. Six residential students lived on the new campus in South Abington Township while attending classes on the existing campus in Scranton. During the 2010-11 school year, the staff faced the challenge of maintaining both campuses.

In the fall of 2011, the Scranton campus closed and classes moved to the new site.

“At our new campus, we can happily look toward the future at the amazing possibilities,” Rhotan says. “We renovated 25% of the 68,000 square foot building, strictly focusing on student contact areas. The new classrooms, with the amazing technologies and materials, are truly gorgeous. But we aren’t finished yet. We aim to continue renovations in 2012 with the addition of a first-class playground, an indoor playroom, and an expansion program to add more classrooms.”

When The Scranton School for Deaf & Hard of Hearing Children first opened, more than 80 students attended, half of whom were in the high school program. Due to the varying needs of the students and their different learning tracks, the high school program moved to WPSD in Pittsburgh.

According to Rhotan, “The students receive far more individualized learning options in Pittsburgh. When shown those options, most of the students chose to go to WPSD. We do have a high school program in Scranton for students with special needs.”

Today, the Scranton school has 42 students. Amazingly, in only their second year of operating the school, enrollment grew 25%.

“We expect by the end of the year to have 50 students enrolled,” says Rhotan. “It's truly exciting to be experiencing this level of growth. It is clear that school has earned the confidence, trust, and love of our students and their families.”

With the programs offered at both The Scranton School and WPSD, the focus remains on the whole child, not simply what can be taught through a textbook. While students continually rank in the upper levels of their peers in the classroom, an array of high-quality services are offered to both students and their families to round out the educational experience. A Guidance Counselor, Psychologist, Occupational & Physical Therapist, Audiologist, Speech Language Pathologists, and Health Care Center are a part of support services.

“Everyone in Northeastern PA can rest assured that, while there were many challenges along the way, the common good for deaf and hard of hearing children has surely been served,” says Rhotan. “After investing $5 million into securing and remodeling a beautiful new campus, which we are committed to continually improving, we are more than simply members of the Northeastern PA community, we are strong partners. We are focused on the future, which is filled with many new and exciting opportunities. For many years to come, this new school will stand as testimony to what good things can happen when good people work together. The deaf and hard of hearing community can stand tall knowing that it was through the good work of many committed individuals that The Scranton School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing was born and it is through that kind of dedication that we will thrive.”

For more information on The Scranton School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, visit TheScrantonSchool.org.